


Hesitant Kiss

by Viktaruuu112



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon verse, First Kiss, M/M, Post Season 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 13:16:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16368314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viktaruuu112/pseuds/Viktaruuu112
Summary: Keith knew of his own feelings; his quiet resolve for Shiro, the strong love he felt disguised as a deep bond of friendship, rooted in years of trust, support, and constant, unwavering devotion, but how had he never realized how perfectly pink and soft Shiro’s lips looked?He pressed his own lips together to mimic the feeling of what he thought kissing Shiro would feel like, but it didn’t come close to satisfying him.





	Hesitant Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a tumblr prompt, then I edited it and changed a few things as a zine entry, and I like it a lot. I hope you enjoy <3

It wasn’t until the end of the day when Shiro was visibly fatigued and aching from the days work that something severely worrying clicked in Keith’s mind. Over the course of the day, save for a few short breaks and an afternoon meal, they’d begun training over fifty new recruits. Like always, Shiro worked hard and never sat on the sidelines. Even as he missed meetings and endless stacks of paperwork went undone. Everyone wanted to be trained by the Captain of The Atlas, and he was inspiring and eager to lead.

Even though Shiro was a master at hiding his pain, Keith had slowly watched the energy drain from his body throughout the day. He knew what Shiro really needed was a long, hot shower, a good meal, and a long night of deep rest. Shiro never allowed himself the luxury. Time was ‘short and essential to progress’ and his responsibilities often held him wide awake, though he was withering beneath the surface.

Often, Keith found him dozing in his office chair or leaning against the wall with closed eyes when he thought no one was around.

Keith gathered his things into his duffel bag when the training deck was cleaned and all the recruits were sent home for the evening. He followed Shiro from the training hall until they reached their quarters. Keith passed his own room in favor of Shiro’s and crossed his arms when they reached the door.

Shiro finally looked at Keith and turned toward him with a gentle, knowing look, “Keith… I’m fine.”

Keith reached forward to grab Shiro’s hand and held it up to the reader at the entryway to unlock the door. “You need to rest.”

The doors wooshed open and Shiro hesitated in the entryway, “...I am.” He stepped inside and Keith followed him in, closing the doors behind them and dropping his bag to the floor.

“You’re not,” Keith kicked off his shoes as he negated Shiro’s reply, “Just because you’re not actively working right now doesn’t mean you’re resting.”

Without replying, Shiro slowly kicked off his boots and started on the buttons down the front of his uniform jacket. His fingers were slow and lacked the strength it took to quickly work the buttons from their loops. 

Keith eyed the stack of folders on Shiro’s bedside table, as well as the tablet and open folders scattered over the unmade bed. Shiro had been with him all day, starting at five in the morning to set up, warm up, and welcome new recruits into the training hall.

Keith’s heart was gripped by concern. “Shiro… when do you sleep?”

He looked at Shiro, really looked at him. In the warm light of the bedroom, Shiro’s eyes seemed deeper set, purple underneath. The line of his mouth was more than tired.

“... I sleep.”

Keith stepped forward and gently placed his hand on Shiro’s shoulder. He found Shiro’s eyes and spoke softly, “Shiro, you’re going to run out of steam.”

Shiro’s eyes fell away as he worked on the third button.

“Let me help you,” Keith said as he gently stopped Shiro from working on the buttons, replacing tired hands with his own. 

“Thank you.” Shiro smiled, but it was small and tired. 

Keith uncoiled each button from its loop until they were all undone, and then pulled the jacket down over Shiro’s shoulders. It dropped through the glowing gap between his shoulder and new arm, and Keith slowly pulled it down the length of the other arm. 

For some reason, his eyes never left Shiro’s lips. It was strange. A pull of something Keith had never felt so strongly before. With Shiro’s resolve melting before him like butter, the parted lips drew him in. As Keith pulled the sleeve from him, Shiro sighed like he was giving in. His shoulders dropped an inch as, for once, his tension slowly evaporated. 

Keith knew of his own feelings; his quiet resolve for Shiro, the strong love he felt disguised as a deep bond of friendship, rooted in years of trust, support, and constant, unwavering devotion, but how had he never realized how perfectly pink and soft Shiro’s lips looked?

He pressed his own lips together to mimic the feeling of what he thought kissing Shiro would feel like, but it didn’t come close to satisfying him. 

With brows gently pulled together, Keith leaned forward an inch, but no more, and let the jacket drop to the ground with a quiet sound. 

“Keith…”

Shiro’s undershirt was soft on his fingers as he ran his hands up over Shiro’s broad chest and let them rest at his shoulders. Nothing would make Keith happier than to see him healed, well rested, and relieved of worry and responsibilities. Keith often dreamed up images of Shiro laughing joyfully in another life, free of scars and snowy hair that reflected his trauma. Though he accepted every beautiful part of him with love, it dug into him to see Shiro so constantly determined and dedicated to survival.

Keith began working into Shiro’s shoulders. The muscles were too hard, like the tension from their last battle had never left. Like eminent fear of the war was constantly on the horizon.

Keith felt his brow crumple and he swallowed down a small lump in his throat. 

“Shiro… we’re okay now,” Keith whispered and lightly scraped his nails into Shiro’s hairline where he gently massaged. Shiro’s eyes drooped halfway closed. “You can rest… we’re okay.”

“We need to always be ready.”

“We are,” Keith said quietly, and Shiro’s eyes fell closed before dropping his forehead to Keith’s shoulder. “You’re a good leader, Shiro… and we need our leader to be strong.”

Shiro let out a long breath and wrapped Keith in his arms as the muscles behind his neck were relieved of their tension, “Thank you…”

Keith finally felt a smile on his cheeks and wanted Shiro to rest more than anything, now that he was no longer fighting against Keith’s guidance to rest, now that his resolve had melted into nothing.

Moving his hands down between them, Keith found the buckles at Shiro’s pants and blindly began to unfasten them so Shiro could be relieved of the strict uniform he wore like a second skin. Shiro stopped moving completely, and it wasn’t until Keith noted a small intake of air that he realized what he was doing might be misconstrued. He processed the thought for a short moment but continued when he decided he didn’t care how it looked.

“...Keith?” Shiro raised his head and backed away to find his eyes. When the buttons were undone and his belt hung loose in the loops, Keith brought his hand back up to Shiro’s neck and gently touched under his jaw. Then he moved the pad of his thumb over Shiro’s bottom lip and sighed at the softness. 

“What are you doing?” Shiro whispered under his thumb. 

Keith leaned in but hesitated. His eyes threatened to close when the tip of Shiro’s nose touched his cheek. Shiro’s breath was warm on his mouth.

“...I don’t know.”

Shiro’s hand came up to hold the back of Keith’s head, fingers sliding through his hair. Chills fluttered gently down his spine and Shiro tilted his chin. 

So small that Keith almost missed it, Shiro’s mouth lifted at the corners. And then he closed the miniscule distance and touched his lips to Keith’s.

It was experimental, warm, and softer than Keith had ever thought possible. 

They parted, and Shiro lifted his chin slightly to kiss his top lip, then Keith pressed into it and felt the pressure of Shiro’s bottom lip between his. He sighed and his eyes fell shut. His brain was glowing, humming in regions that had never been quite this active before, except in dreams, and he felt the rush of it. The unspoken words between them. The confession of something, the exclamation that something was here, something had always been here, growing and festering under the surface, burning them each to the core. 

They parted from each other only for a moment and Keith could see a pure and gentle aura resting atop Shiro’s skin and sinking below the surface. Everything kin to tension and worry was melting from his limbs. 

So Keith pressed his mouth against Shiro’s again and again until Shiro was red and dazed under him, until he was nothing but a puddle of heat and swollen lips in his bed.

Until Keith’s name was nothing but a lullaby on his lips whispered into the darkness of his room.

**Author's Note:**

> [Roseroyaly tumblr](http://roseroyaly.tumblr.com/)  
> [Roseroyaly art blog](https://pink-frosted-sprinkled-shiro.tumblr.com//)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/RoseRoyaly/)  
>  If you have a second to comment let me know what you think! I also take kudos and good vibes <3  
> Have a stellar day, my friends.


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